Self-aligning swing gate system



Oct. 13, 1970 Filed Nov. 18, 1968 K. G. APPELL ETAL 3,533,189 SELF-ALIGNING SWING GATE SYSTEM 2 SheetS Sheet 1 -Lf! VP 3% INVENTORS ROB RT R. BRANNAN KENNETH GAPPELL ATTORNEY Oct. 13, 1970 APPELL EI'AL SELF-ALIGNING SWING GATE SYSTEM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 18, 1968 ROBERT R. BRA NNAN KENNETHv G. APPEL L INVENTORS mw m y nited States Patent 3,533,189 SELF-ALIGNING SWING GATE SYSTEM Kenneth G. Appell and Robert R. Brannan, Baltimore,

Md., assignors, by mesne assignments, to Anchor Post Products, Inc., Baltimore, Md., a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 18, 1968, Ser. No. 776,585 Int. Cl. Ef 7/06 U.S. Cl. 49-396 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A swing gate is disclosed which has a support wheel and one hook type hinge. The other hinge features a follow-up bracket arrangement that allows the gate to be swung against a grade in the roadway and self-adjust thereto.

This invention relates generally to doors and gates, and more particularly to a bracket arrangement including a self-aligning hinge which facilitates the movement of a horizontal swing gate of considerable length over sloping terrain.

Where security fences extend across driveways, it is often a problem to arrange a gate wide enough for vehicle passage without massive measures to prevent sag. A wheel support on the end is only satisfactory where the entrance is perfectly flat and smooth; otherwise, the pintles may become unhinged.

In addition, the gatepost may become bent or loosened and generally unsatisfactory operation of the gate system will occur if the swinging end of the gate rises or falls any appreciable amount with the grade. The prior art is replete with parallelogram arrangements for gates, but none are applicable to rigid frame gates of modern metal construction.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide an arrangement for improved swinging of elongated rigid frame gates.

Another object of this invention is to provide a selfadjusting pintle assembly for gate posts which will permit a gate to be lifted at the swinging end without dislodgement of the hinges.

Another object of this invention is to provide a gate hinge bracket with a degree of freedom in a direction solely in the plane of the gate away from the gate post.

The above described objects of this invention are realized in the structure of the sef-aligning swing gate system of this invention which comprises a rigid state supported at one end by offset wheel structure, and supported at the other end by a post offset through a pair of vertically adjustable hinges, said hinges having provision for self-alignment including toroidal holes in the hinge heads, and a cylindrical pin sliding arrangement adjustably engaging one of said hinges to the gate.

Other objects and attendant advantages of this invention will become more readily apparent and understood from the detailed specification and accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevation of an improved gate post assembly having features of a self-aligning swing gate;

FIG. 2 is a detail view partly in section taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a detail view similar to FIG. 2 taken on line 3--3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 illustrates a wheel support arrangement as viewed on line 4-4 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a vertical section taken through a hinge.

Referring now to the details of the invention as shown in FIG. 1, reference numeral indicates a gate. While this gate 10 may be of any rigid type, the example shows a modern all-metal mesh construction having welded tubular metallic framework comprising upper and lower members 12 and 14, respectively, and left hand and right hand members 16 and 18, respectively.

Reference numeral 20 indicates a gate post which may he of the cylindrical pipe type and having an upper fixed hinge 22 and lower sliding hinge 24 upon which the gate 10 swings, This gate 10 is of considerable length and to prevent sag, the swinging end is supported on the ground by a wheel assembly 26.

Both hinges 2.2 and 24 are provided with identical bifurcated trunnions 28, each clamped to the gatepost 20 with a U-bolt 36 and nuts 32, as best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

The upper hinge assembly 22 is connected by means of an arm 34 to the gate. A saddle bracket 36 on the end of arm 34 embraces the right hand member 18 of the gate and is secured there by means of a bolt 38 and an expandable nut 40. The latter may advantageously be concealed in the upper gate member 12 as shown in FIG. 2. The hinge head 42 of bracket 34 has a toroidally shaped hole 44 for the pin 46. This allows the bracket 34 to both horizontally and vertically pivot upon trunnion 28 as apparent from FIG. 5.

A cylinder 48 having brackets 50 is clamped to the side of lower member 14 of the gate 10 with U-bolts 52. An eyebolt 54 extends slidably from within this cylinder 48 and it is pivotally attached to the lower trunnion 28 by a pin 56.

The swinging end of the gate as shown best in FIG. 4 has an L-bracket 58 clamped by U-bolts 60 to the lower end of left hand member 16 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4. A wheel 62 is mounted on this bracket 58 on an axle 64.

The arrangement of hinge assemblies 22 and 24 as illustrated with the fixed hinge 22 at the top and sliding hinge 24 at the bottom would be used where the gate 10 will be swung toward an ascending grade.

On the other hand, if the gate 10 is to swing toward a descending roadway, the hinges 22 and 24 are interchanged employing the sliding" hinge 24 uppermost. In either case, the wheel 62 follows the contour of the ground and the vertical tilt (in the plane of the gate) causes the cylinder and sliding bolt to accommodate the changing relationship of the member 18 of the gate and the post 20.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. In a rigid swing gate having self-aligning hinge means attached to a post and wheeled support means attached tangentially to the swinging end of the gate, the improvement comprising: two spaced hinges having U- clamp attachment between the gate and the post, including a first said hinge having a cylindrical pin, a head having a toroidal-shape hole operatively engaging the pin, and an arm having a saddle bracket affixed at an angle thereon for offset attachment of the gate through said hinge to the post; a second said hinge comprising a cylinder affixed to the side of said gate parallel to the plane of the gate, a slidable eyebolt in longitudinally spaced engagement with the cylinder and extending therefrom, said eyebolt having a toroidal-shaped hole, and cylindrical-pin pivotal means affixed to the post in alignment with said cylinder and engaging the toroidal-shaped hole in the extension of the eyebolt; and said wheeled support means comprising a wheel and a substantially flat L- bracket U-clamped to the end of the gate and mounting the wheel thereon within the length of the gate and offset from the plane of the gate, whereby all said hinges and wheeled support means are similarly offset from the plane of the gate and said hinges yield in the plane of the gate in self-aligning compliance with support by said wheeled support means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Roderick 49-396 X Swink 49-396 X Soss 49-396 X Suska 16-128 Wilde 49-396 Keith 49-396 Harrison 16-130 Thomson.

Caldwell 16-158 Watermann 49-396 Panoch 16-158 Swanson 49-396 X Lucas 16-130 Pinson 16-158 X DENNIS L. TAYLOR, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

